Pharaoh’s Confrontation of Musa (AS) Through Sorcerers: Explanation of Qur’anic Verses
Authored by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha (Hafizahullah)
❖ Question:
How did Pharaoh confront the message of Musa (AS) with the help of sorcerers?
❖ Answer:
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿قَالُوا أَرْجِهْ وَأَخَاهُ وَأَرْسِلْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ ﴿١١١﴾ يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَاحِرٍ عَلِيمٍ ﴿١١٢﴾ [الأعراف: 111-112]
"They said: ‘Postpone him and his brother, and send gatherers into the cities, to bring you every skilled sorcerer.’"
The word أَرْجِهْ means postpone him or detain him.
أَرْسِلْ means send forth.
فِي الْمَدَائِنِ means throughout the cities of your kingdom.
حَاشِرِينَ means those who will gather sorcerers from every region for you.
At that time, sorcery was widespread. Some believed, or at least imagined, that what Musa (AS) had brought was nothing more than a form of sorcery similar to what their magicians performed. For this reason, they gathered magicians to oppose the miracles of Musa (AS), as Allah ﷻ informed us about Pharaoh in His Book:
﴿يَا مُوسَىٰ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِ فَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُ نَحْنُ وَلَا أَنتَ مَكَانًا سُوًى ﴿٥٧﴾ قَالَ مَوْعِدُكُمْ يَوْمُ الزِّينَةِ وَأَن يُحْشَرَ النَّاسُ ضُحًى ﴿٥٩﴾ فَتَوَلَّىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فَجَمَعَ كَيْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَىٰ ﴿٦٠﴾ [طه: 57-60]
"O Musa, we shall surely bring you sorcery like it, so appoint a time between us and you which neither we nor you shall fail, in a place equally chosen." Musa said: "Your appointment is on the Day of Festival, and let the people be gathered in the forenoon." So Pharaoh turned away, gathered his plot, and then came."
Furthermore, Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَجَاءَ السَّحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قَالُوا إِنَّ لَنَا لَأَجْرًا إِن كُنَّا نَحْنُ الْغَالِبِينَ ﴿١١٣﴾ [الأعراف: 113]
"And the sorcerers came to Pharaoh and said: ‘Shall we indeed have a reward if we are the victors?’"
This verse informs us that Pharaoh and the sorcerers, whom he summoned to challenge Musa (AS), agreed that if they overcame Musa (AS), Pharaoh would grant them abundant rewards and bring them close to him.
Once they secured this promise from Pharaoh, they confronted Musa (AS) and said:
﴿قَالُوا يَا مُوسَىٰ إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ ﴿١١٥﴾ [الأعراف: 115]
"They said: ‘O Musa! Either you throw, or we shall be the ones to throw first.’"
